Cromlix Hotel
Building a Culinary Brand Ecosystem for Kim and Sir Andy Murray’s Five-Star Scottish Country House Hotel
As part of the next phase of its evolution, Cromlix sought to expand its food and beverage offering with the launch of two new restaurant concepts.
Thissaway was appointed to work closely with their team to develop the strategic positioning, naming and visual identities for both venues, creating a cohesive brand ecosystem that would strengthen Cromlix’s position as a leading culinary destination while allowing each concept to establish its own distinct character.
Challenge
The project required more than the creation of two restaurant brands.
We needed to define and name two entirely new dining concepts, each with its own audience, proposition and experience, while ensuring both felt intrinsically connected to the wider Cromlix story.
- The challenge was to create names and identities that would:
- Appeal to a contemporary luxury audience
- Reflect Cromlix’s connection to nature and seasonality
- Differentiate two distinct dining experiences
- Complement rather than compete with the master brand
- Support Cromlix’s long-term growth strategy
Our Approach
We began by defining the strategic foundations for each concept, identifying the role it would play within the wider guest experience and the audience it was designed to attract.
Through extensive category analysis and audience research, we examined how premium hospitality and dining brands were responding to changing consumer expectations. By understanding what today’s experience-conscious diners value most – from authenticity and provenance to atmosphere and storytelling – we were able to identify whitespace opportunities and develop concepts that felt both distinctive and relevant.
From this strategic work, we developed the names, narratives and visual identities for both restaurants.
Rather than relying on traditional luxury hospitality cues, the estate itself became our inspiration. The gardens, woodland and surrounding landscape provided the creative framework to bring both brands to life and influenced every touchpoint – from the names and positioning to visual identity and storytelling.
This created a unified narrative rooted in growth, provenance, seasonality and transformation.
Cradle
Defining a Fine-Dining Destination
Positioned as Cromlix’s gastronomic flagship, Cradle is an intimate, evening-only restaurant offering a highly curated and intimate dining experience.
The name Cradle was developed to evoke ideas of origin, nourishment, growth and creation – reflecting both the source of the ingredients and the craft behind the dining experience.
Building on this narrative, we evolved a visual identity centred around the idea of transformation. A butterfly-inspired marque, organic Art Nouveau infused typography, and a restrained monochromatic palette combine to create a brand that feels immersive, elegant and quietly confident.
Designed to feel experiential rather than formal, the identity helps distinguish Cradle from traditional fine-dining establishments while reinforcing its connection to the natural world.
The Garden Room
Conceptualising a Uniquely Modern Bistro
For Cromlix’s new contemporary bistro, The Garden Room felt apt to capture the estate’s philosophy of “home, not hotel”.
The name positions the restaurant as a welcoming extension of the house itself, creating immediate associations with comfort, familiarity and connection to the surrounding gardens.
The logo reflects this approachability through warm natural tones and soft, lowercase use of the legacy brand font ‘Branch’. The flourishes afforded by this font suggest a contemporary sense of vibrant growth and vitality, speaking to the gentle energy of this modern bistro.
On the menu suite we wanted to reinforce the restaurant’s seasonal, produce-led ethos, so created a collection of botanical illustrations inspired by the hotel’s history and the flora found throughout the Cromlix estate. These illustrations enrich the guest experience by subtly showcasing ingredients and connecting diners to the origins of the food on their plate.
Together, the name and identity create a dining concept that feels relaxed and accessible while maintaining the quality and sophistication expected from a Cromlix experience.
The Outcome
By taking an insightful and strategic approach to developing these dining concepts as independent extensions of the Cromlix master brand, we firmly rooted them within a connected ecosystem.
While Cradle and The Garden Room each have their own voice, personality and audience, both are united by a shared narrative rooted in nature, and in-keeping with the heritage and hospitality of the house itself.
The result is a flexible brand architecture that strengthens the Cromlix master brand while positioning the estate as a destination for exceptional food and memorable dining experiences.
